Thursday, February 21, 2013

Chaos Synopsis: The Art of Killing

It does not surprise me at all that Chaos Synopsis is Brazilian. I did not know this fact when I started listening to the album. I immediately thought that they sounded like a cross between Arise-era Sepultura and Krisiun. Both Brazilian bands. So when I looked into the band a little bit and saw that they were from Brazil, it all clicked.

The album immediately captured my attention with a very impressive opening riff. From there, they refused to let go, building into an infectious groove quickly. This turned out to be a surprisingly good album all the way through, with some genuinely unexpected moments just to keep the listener on his toes.

Chaos Synopsis blends death metal and thrash metal into a caustic mix. The drumming is done in much more of a thrash metal style. It is oftentimes incredibly fast, with a lot of double bass and some well-done fills. I do not usually pay a lot of attention to the drums. They are often lost in the music and are not typically noteworthy unless they are very good or very bad. In the case of Chaos Synopsis, they are very good.

The guitar tone is very crisp which allows the riffs to really bite. They do throw in some tremolo riffs on occasion and some riffs with a lot of picking. The band even delves a little into more of a brutal death metal sound, particularly on the beginning moments to "Bay Harbor Butcher". Much of the guitar work sounds a lot like the earlier comparison that I made to early 90's Sepultura and Krisiun. It is a highly energetic style that manages to keep the energy going throughout much of the album.

There are some surprising moments at times. The band cuts the speed down considerably and goes into a more melodic interlude, then just as quickly reverts to the high speed riffing that makes up the bulk of the album. Solos are generally done pretty well. The use of the slide guitar on "B.T.K." and the title track also stands out as a unique moment. It comes across quite well actually, giving the tracks a bit of a Southern swagger.

I was not familiar with Chaos Synopsis prior to being contacted to review the band, but I do have to say that I was surprised. While they are not recreating the wheel here, this is some decent stuff.

About Me

Disclaimer
All opinions expressed herein are solely my own, and do not reflect the opinions of my current or former employers, or any other person or entity with which I am or have been affiliated.
I am a small-town attorney with a passion for heavy metal music and baseball. This blog will be about those things and whatever the hell else I feel like.
Nothing in this blog is intended as legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. All legal discussions are strictly informative, not advisory, and accuracy of the information is not subject to any warranty, express or implied. If you choose to rely on such information, you do so completely at your own risk. If you believe you may have a legal issue, an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction can provide legal advice which will take into account your own unique circumstances and the applicable law.